For Dwight Copp of Statesville, a morning coffee run turned into a $750,000 lottery win.
“Each morning I get my cup of coffee and hang out with a couple of guys at the store,” Copp said. “Every now and then, I’ll buy a scratch-off ticket when I’m there.”
Copp bought the winning Jumbo Bucks ticket at the Home Run Market on Old Mountain Road in Statesville. He waited until he left the store to scratch the ticket.
“I always seem to win something when I scratch the ticket outside,” Copp said. “I also make sure the coin I scratch it with is facing heads up when I grab it. If it’s heads down, I’ll look for another one.”
Copp went to his car, grabbed a penny, and started scratching.
“When I saw the ‘17’ and ’17,’ I knew I at least got my money back,” Copp said. “When I scratched the prize amount, I thought, ‘Well this aint bad.’ I can’t tell you all the curse words I ended up using because I was so excited. I’m glad my routine finally paid off.”
Copp claimed his prize Wednesday at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $530,628.
“This feels great,” Copp said when he got the check. “I’d marry it if I could. That’s how much I love it.”
Copp plans to use the money to build an enclosed deck on his house and get a new Dodge truck.
The $10 ticket launched in January 2018 with eight top prizes of $750,000. Two top prizes remain.
Ticket sales from games like Jumbo Bucks make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $650 million a year for education. For details on how $10.4 million in lottery funds made a difference in Iredell County last year, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.
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